Radio dramas continue to cast spell

Expressbuzz, Nov 6, 2009
TO WATCH a scene taken from the chapter of life seems realistic to the audience. They relate to it, understand it and follow it. But to listen to that scene lets you feel it, sense it and experience it. Whosoever underestimated radio in its ability to produce the right impact through drama, must’ve already realised why it still has its listenership intact. With three captivating dramas broadcast already, the annual State level drama festival by the AIR has its listeners awaiting the remaining five.


Touching various aspects of life the festival includes seven soul stirring audio dramas that revolve around individuals and the society. Young Tanika is forced to devote all her adolescent days to fulfill her parents’ dream of achieving success in IIT. But do their dreams succeed or do they lose the battle of desires. Revolving around Tanika and her innocent friendship with her distant grandmother (played by veteran artist Jharana Das), the first drama Swapna Parahata, based on Dipti Pattnayak’s short story remarkably depicts a teenager’s problems and the never satisfied desires of educated parents. Nirudhishta Byakti Samparkare by Chakrapani Parichha gives a glimpse into the trap of ego and uncertainty that man usually creates for himself and gets lost into.

“We produce programmes keeping in mind our wide listenership that includes cities, towns as well as villages unlike FMs which have to be designed to suit the urban listenership. We have never faced challenges of losing listenership in the greater part of the State. Hence, most dramas have been chosen so they give joy to both rural and urban listeners of all age groups,” says Deepak Samantray, Assistant Station Director, AIR Cuttack. The wide variety of themes and subjects covered are - teenage mindset, conflicts within the soul, impact of carelessly chosen decisions, tensions at home, reminiscences of the State’s freedom movement against British colonialism and lesser remembered freedom fighters, challenges of life in tribal and rural pockets of the State like Kalahandi, man-animal bonding of emotions and trust.

Contributed by Cuttack, Sambalpur, Jeypore and Bhabanipatna stations of AIR, the dramas are being broadcast at almost all regions of the State at 9.30 pm every evening until November 9, except for days when the India-Australia cricket series is broadcast live.